Facilitating mask pattern formation

Abstract

Mask pattern formation is facilitated by: providing a mask structure including at least one sacrificial spacing structure disposed above a substrate structure; disposing a spacer layer conformally over the mask structure; selectively removing the spacer layer, leaving, at least in part, sidewall spacers along sidewalls of the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, and providing at least one additional sacrificial spacer over the substrate structure, one additional sacrificial spacer of the at least one additional sacrificial spacer being disposed in set spaced relation to the at least one sacrificial spacing structure; and removing the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, leaving the sidewall spacers and the at least one additional sacrificial spacer over the substrate structure as part of a mask pattern.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 providing a mask structure comprising at least one sacrificial spacing structure disposed above a substrate structure; 
 disposing a spacer layer conformally over the mask structure; 
 selectively removing the spacer layer, leaving, at least in part, sidewall spacers along sidewalls of the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, and providing at least one additional spacer over the substrate structure, one additional spacer of the at least one additional spacer being other than a sidewall spacer, and disposed in set spaced relation to the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, wherein the selectively removing the spacer layer defines the sidewall spacers and the at least one additional spacer from the spacer layer; and 
 removing the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, leaving the sidewall spacers thereof and the at least one additional spacer over the substrate structure as part of a mask pattern. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall spacers are spaced apart a distance “d” and the one additional spacer is spaced the distance “d” from one sidewall spacer of the sidewall spacers. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing includes providing a sacrificial spacing material above the substrate structure, and selectively etching through the sacrificial spacing material to provide the at least one sacrificial spacing structure disposed above the substrate structure, and the selectively etching through the sacrificial spacing material provides a first mask pattern over the sacrificial spacing material, and wherein the first mask pattern is patterned to facilitate providing the at least one additional spacer, including the one additional spacer disposed in set spaced relation to the at least one sacrificial spacing structure. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the mask structure further comprises an anti-reflective coating layer over the sacrificial spacing material, the anti-reflective coating facilitating providing of the first mask pattern. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the selectively removing the spacer layer further comprises providing a second mask pattern above the spacer layer, the second mask pattern masking at least one location for the at least one additional spacer, and the selectively removing including using the second mask pattern in providing the at least one additional spacer, at least in part, from the spacer layer. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the selectively removing the spacer layer further comprises providing an anti-reflective coating above the spacer layer, the anti-reflective coating facilitating providing the second mask pattern. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial spacing material comprises a material selective both to an oxide etching process and a nitride etching process. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sacrificial spacing material comprises at least one of amorphous silicon or polysilicon. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selectively removing the spacer layer comprises selectively anisotropically etching, at least in part, the spacer layer, the selectively anisotropically etching including removing, at least in part, the spacer layer from between at least one sidewall spacer of the at least one sacrificial spacing structure and the one additional spacer disposed in spaced relation thereto. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sidewall spacers and the one additional spacer of the at least one additional spacer each comprise a common width “W” and wherein the sidewall spacers are spaced apart a distance “d”, and the one additional spacer is spaced the distance “d” from one sidewall spacer of the sidewall spacers. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the sidewall spacers and the additional spacer of the at least one additional spacer each have the common width “W” of about 5 to 30 nanometers and wherein the sidewall spacers are spaced apart a distance “d” of about 10 to 70 nanometers and the one additional spacer is spaced the distance “d” of about 10 to 70 nanometers from one sidewall spacer of the sidewall spacers. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the spacer layer comprises a nitride material. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate structure comprises a semiconductor substrate with at least one protective substrate layer over the semiconductor substrate, and the mask pattern facilitates patterned etching of the at least one protective substrate layer, the patterned etching facilitating forming fins extending from the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises silicon, the at least one protective substrate layer comprises silicon nitride, and the spacer layer comprises a nitride material. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate structure comprises a semiconductor substrate with a first protective substrate layer above the semiconductor substrate, and a second protective substrate layer above the first protective substrate layer, and the mask pattern facilitates patterned etching of the first and second protective substrate layers, the patterned etching facilitating forming fins extending from the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the first protective substrate layer comprises silicon nitride and the second protective substrate layer comprises silicon dioxide. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mask structure comprises at least two sacrificial spacing structures disposed above the substrate structure, the at least two sacrificial spacing structures comprising the at least one sacrificial spacing structure, and wherein the selectively removing provides the one additional spacer disposed between two adjacent sacrificial spacing structures of the at least two sacrificial spacing structures. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein the providing comprises laterally spacing apart the two adjacent sacrificial spacing structures a distance which facilitates the providing of the one additional spacer therebetween. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein sidewall spacers of each sacrificial spacing structure of the two adjacent sacrificial spacing structures are spaced apart a distance “d”, and the one additional spacer is spaced the distance “d” between two different sidewalls of the two adjacent sacrificial spacing structures. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 19 , wherein the sidewall spacers of the two adjacent sacrificial spacing structures and the one additional sacrificial spacing structure each comprise a common width “W”.